West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-08
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH.
HONEST AS THE DAY IS LONG,
BUT VERY ExACTiNG.
The Peculiarl.ies OF o Curious People.
Customs Before tho War-Opposltion to
the Common School system-Few Out
sido Alliances.


under the sun than these same Pennsyl-
vania Dutch farmers. Their ancestors
were the pioneer settlers in one OF the
most fertile sections of Pennsylvania, and
the superstitions, customs and antipathies
of the fathers are still held by the sons.
The war of the rebellion did more to dispel
the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch
than ANYTHING in their history; but 60
among them in the back countries, where
their farms are isolated from towns, and
YOU will find them still firm believers in
spooks. witches and charms, and strong
in their doubts of the necessity OF COM
mon schools. They are as honest as the
day is long. and the most close listed and
exacting in a bargain of any people in the
world. Driving long distances to market,
they will haggle over a dime in bargain
that involves probably the sale of hun
dreds of dollars worth of produce, and If
assured by going ten miles farther they
will be able to sell their goods and make
the extra ten cents, they will not hesitate
a moment to take the journey. The extra
time and labor they do not take into ac-
count.
''From the earliest days of the Penn
sylvania Dutch farmers they have re-
garded menial service as the duty OF wo-
men. 1t is by no means an uncommon
sight to see, in passing these back farm
ing regions, the women working In the
fields as well as the men, not only hoelng
and harvesting, but following the plow
or harrow. This idea that women shall
have no mission beyond menial labor Is
well illustrated by the fact that many a
domestic drudge in the town families is
the daughter of some farmer rich enough
to buy her employer over and over again.
/ have a servant in my house whose father
is one of the best known Dutch farmers
in eastern Lehigh county, and is worth at
least $50,000.
Before the war the old Dutch farmers
held to the custom Of their fathers, which
prompted them to never refuse to extend
financial aid to another, and that without
eXacting written obligation or interest.
If one farmer needed few hundred dol
lars he went to any neighbor whom he
knew had the money. The loan was at
once forthcoming, the borrower naming o
certain day and hour ON which the money
would be repaid. If he failed to keep his
word he was forever in disgrace, and no
one was bound to respond to his request
for aid again. Defaults in payment OF
these unsecured and unremuneratiye loans
were very rare, so sacred was the verbal
contract held. The scarcity of money that
came with the early years of the war, and
the premium that gold commanded, sent
spectators through the Pennsylvania
Dutch farming regions, and the cupidity
of the farmers was soon awakened, and
they for the first time began to realize
profit from the use of their money. Then
the old custom of helping one another
without some return of the favor was
gradually abandoned, and the bond and
mortgage took its place AS the Dutch
farmers, as q class, are seldom in need OF
borrowing, and are suspicious OF outsiders
in making loans, the existence of fortunes
in stockings and coffee pots may be
further explained.
''When the common school system was
first proposed, although it was the scheme
of Pennsylvania Dutch legislators and ex-
ecutives, the farmers were unit in oppos-
ing it, After it was authorized by law
its machinery in many of the districts OF
the Dutch counties necessarily passed into
the control of its opponents. Their policy
was to establish as few schools as possible,
keep them open only few weeks in the
year and employ only such teachers as
were willing to serve ut the lowest possible
wages. Many old timers have not modified
their opposition to the common school yet,
and viii not accept its benefits. The con-
sequence is that there are whole communi
ties where nothing but German is read,
written or spoken. 1t is a characteristic
of the race to preserve their language,
which is a quaint combination of English
and German.
1.-The one great characteristic Of the
PENNSYLVANIA Dutch is their regard for
and strict attendance at church. No
matter how far the nearest church may
be away, the farmer and his family never
miss Sundays service. A man may
offend against law in other ways and
be forgiven, but if he neglects his church
he is at once placed under the ban of
society. The Pennsylvania Dutch are
proud OF their party, and they adhere
closely to old forms. They are the
severest of PIotestants. Politicians
understand and use his love Of church
among the farmers, and candidate going
among them and making ostentatious
show of his church connections, and, being
able 10 quote from the Scriptures, captures
the hearts and votes of the simple minded
Dutchmen.
Probably nowhere else in the country
are the social pastimes of the farmers pre-
served and INDUCED in to such an extent
as they are among the Pennsylvania
Dutch. The apple cut, the corn husdng,
the quilting bee, the old fashioned country
dance furnish the amusement and recrea-
ton TO the brlxom Dutch maidens and
Iusty swains to-day as they did to those OF
hundreds of years ago. The dances are
kept up from early evening until daylight.
There is no going TO bed after a dance.
The women go at once to their household
duties and the men to their labor in the
field the same as If they had slept as
usual, from candle light to candle light,
according TO the old Dutch custom. Work
indoors and out begins as soon as there is
light enough to see, and continues until it
is too dark to see, winter and summer.
''The Dutch families discourage and
disapprove Of all marriages that will
destroy the purity OF their blood, and
hence the marriages with members OF any
other race are very rare. This accounts
for the remarkable preservation of the
language the customs and the traditions
of their forefathers among these people,
surrounded as they are by influences Of
the highest modern thought and example.
But in spite of their exclusiveness, their
tenacious adherence to ideas of a century
ago and stubborn resistance to the
advance of those of to-day, the lessons in
integrity, industry, thrift and thorough
ness which they have given have had n
most beneficial effect, not only in the
region which they have developed, but
throughout the state as well, and Penn
sylvania is hundredfold the better for
their presence. Cor. New York Mail
and Express.
The newest thing wanted at Yale is a
f,ran,h r,oStoffica for the uniyersity